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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 04/15/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The response filed 04/15/2026 is accepted, in which, claims 7 and 8 are amended and claims 11-14 are newly added. Claims 1 and 7 are independent with claims 1-3, 5-8, and 10-14 awaiting an action on the merits as follows.
Response to Arguments
Regarding claim 1, on page 7 of the response, Applicant argues,
"More specifically, the claimed "light absorption layer" cannot reasonably be equated with the "light absorbing layer" relied upon in Heo. As noted in the Office Action at page 6, the Examiner cites paragraph [0024] of Heo for this feature. However, Heo describes the "light absorbing layer" as part of a light absorption sensor. See Heo, paragraph [0007]. Heo further explains that this sensor is used for sensing a fingerprint or other features of an object. See Heo, paragraph [0062]. Thus, Heo's "light absorbing layer" is directed to sensing functionality, not to generating a photovoltaic effect.
Accordingly, the claimed "light absorption layer" and Heo's "light absorbing layer" are fundamentally different components having different purposes and functions."
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Iou states in paragraph [0011], "The photovoltaic cell converts incident light into electricity to drive the OLED element." The conversion of incident light into electrical energy is a photovoltaic effect.
Heo (US 20220261584 A1) teaches a light absorbing layer including a first p-type semiconductor and a first n-type semiconductor forming a pn junction and configured to absorb light reflected by a recognition target and to convert the absorbed light into an electrical signal (Heo, [0024]).
The underlined portion is analogous to the claim limitation of claim 1, "the light absorption layer comprises a blend of a p-type organic semiconductor and an n-type organic semiconductor, and is configured to generate a photovoltaic effect through interaction of the p-type organic semiconductor and the n- type organic semiconductor."
The interaction of the p-n interaction generates a photovoltaic effect in Heo by materials that can combined with Iou to result in the photovoltaic cell converting incident light into electricity to drive the OLED element.
Therefore, the argument is traversed and the previous rejection stands.
Regarding claim 7, on page 9 of the response, Applicant argues,
"Although Pan mentions ink-jet printing, Pan does not specifically disclose "manufacturing a light emitting module on the first electrode by using an inkjet printing process" or "manufacturing a photovoltaic module on the second electrode by using the inkjet printing process," as required by claim 7. Claim 7 is directed to a particular manufacturing method and a particular order of operations. Pan does not supply the missing teachings."
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Claim 7 limits manufacturing the photovoltaic module on the second electrode comprising steps of inkjet printing functional layers.
Pan's inkjet printing technique is for printing functional layers of a semiconductor device with beneficial effects that include viscosity and surface tension formulation can be adjusted to an appropriate scope thus facilitating the printing process and forming a film with a uniform surface (Pan, [0031]). Additionally, ink-jet printing has great advantages and potential due to a low energy consumption, a low water consumption and an environmentally friendly property thereof (Pan, [0003]) which align with the stated improvements of the instant application such as simplifying fabrication and eliminating additional equipment.
Pan’s known technique, as cited above, would have been recognized by one skilled in the art as applicable to the base product of Iou and the results would have been predictable and resulted in facilitating the printing process and forming a film with a uniform surface (Pan, [0031]) which results in an improved process/product.
The claimed subject matter would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention.
Therefore, the argument is traversed and the previous rejection stands.
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, 2, 5, 8, and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iou (US 20060227531 A1), and further in view of Heo (US 20220261584 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Iou teaches an organic light emitting device (200, Fig 2), comprising:
a first electrode (212) disposed on (shown on) an array substrate (210);
a light emitting module (220) disposed on (shown on) the first electrode (212);
a second electrode (230) disposed on (shown on) a surface of the light emitting module (220) away (shown away) from the first electrode (212);
a photovoltaic module (240) disposed on (shown on) a surface of the second electrode (230) away (shown away) from the light emitting module (220); and
a third electrode (250) disposed on (shown on) a surface of the photovoltaic module (240) away (shown away) from the second electrode (230);
wherein the photovoltaic module (240, Fig 2) comprises:
a light absorption layer (244; charge generation layer, [0022]; the charges are generated by absorbing light) disposed between (shown between) the second electrode (230) and the third electrode (250);
a second electron function layer (242) disposed between (shown between) the light absorption layer (244) and the second electrode (230); and
a second hole function layer (246) disposed between (shown between) the light absorption layer (244) and the third electrode (250);
Iou fails to explicitly teach the light absorption layer comprises a blend of a p-type organic semiconductor and an n-type organic semiconductor, and is configured to generate a photovoltaic effect through interaction of the p-type organic semiconductor and the n- type organic semiconductor.
However, Heo teaches the light absorption layer comprises a blend (light absorbing layer includes p-type and n-type semiconductor, [0024]) of a p-type organic semiconductor (p-type, [0024]) and an n-type organic semiconductor (n-type, [0024]), and
is configured to generate a photovoltaic effect (convert absorbed light into an electrical signal, [0024]) through interaction of the p-type organic semiconductor (p-type) and the n- type organic semiconductor (n-type).
Iou and Heo are considered analogous to the claimed invention because both are from the same field of endeavor of semiconductor display devices with integrated photovoltaics. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the device of Iou with the features of Heo to create a device wherein the light absorption layer comprises a blend of a p-type organic semiconductor and an n-type organic semiconductor, and is configured to generate a photovoltaic effect through interaction of the p-type organic semiconductor and the n- type organic semiconductor where a high performance sensor may be implemented while improving design and usability (Heo, [0030]).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Iou and Heo discloses the device of claim 1. Iou goes on to teach the light emitting module (220, Fig 2) comprises:
a light emitting layer (224) disposed between (shown between) the first electrode (212) and the second electrode (230);
a first hole function layer (222) disposed between (shown between) the light emitting layer (224) and the first electrode (212); and
a first electron function layer (226) disposed between (shown between) the light emitting layer (224) and the second electrode (230).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Iou and Heo discloses the device of claim 1. Iou goes on to teach wherein materials (ITO, [0018, 0022]) of the first electrode (212, Fig 2) and the third electrode (250) comprise transparent conductive oxide (transparent electrode, [0018, 0022]), and
a material (Ag, [0020]) of the second electrode (230) comprises metal (metal, [0020]).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Iou and Heo discloses the device of claim 1. Iou goes on to teach a display device (display, [0001]), comprising the organic light emitting device (200, Fig 2) as claimed in claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Iou and Heo discloses the device of claim 1. Iou goes on to teach wherein the organic light emitting device (200, Fig 2) is a bottom-emitting OLED device (bottom emission, [0018]).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Iou and Heo discloses the device of claim 1. Iou goes on to teach wherein the first electrode (212, Fig 2) is a transparent electrode (transparent, [0018]), and
a material (ITO, [0018]) of the first electrode (212) comprises a transparent conductive oxide (transparent conductive oxide).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Iou and Heo discloses the device of claim 1. Iou goes on to teach wherein the second electrode (230, Fig 2) is a total reflection electrode (Al; well known to be totally reflective; opaque electrode blocking light, [0020]).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Iou and Heo discloses the device of claim 1. Iou goes on to teach wherein the third electrode (250, Fig 2) is a transparent electrode (transparent, [0022]), and
a material (ITO, [0022]) of the third electrode (250) comprises a transparent conductive oxide (transparent conductive oxide).
Claims 3 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iou (US 20060227531 A1), in view of Heo (US 20220261584 A1), and further in view of Ai (US 20210126062 A1).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Iou and Heo discloses the device of claim 2. Iou goes on to teach wherein the first hole function layer (222, Fig 2) comprises:
a first hole transport layer (222; the hole function is hole transport, [0019]) disposed on (shown on) a surface of the light emitting layer (224) away (shown away) from the first electron function layer (226);
the first electron function layer (226) comprises:
a first electron transport layer (226; the electron function is electron transport, [0019]) disposed on (shown on) a surface of the light emitting layer (224) away (shown away) from the first hole function layer (222).
The combination fails to explicitly teach a first hole injection layer disposed on a surface of the first hole transport layer away from the light emitting layer; and a first electron injection layer disposed on a surface of the first electron transport layer away from the light emitting layer.
However, Ai teaches a first hole injection layer (31, Fig 1) disposed on (shown on) a surface of the first hole transport layer away (shown away) from the light emitting layer; and
a first electron injection layer (35) disposed on (shown on) a surface of the first electron transport layer away (shown away) from the light emitting layer.
Iou, Heo, and Ai are considered analogous to the claimed invention because all are from the same field of endeavor of semiconductor display devices with integrated photovoltaics. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the device of Iou and Heo with the features of Ai to create a first hole injection layer disposed on a surface of the first hole transport layer away from the light emitting layer; and a first electron injection layer disposed on a surface of the first electron transport layer away from the light emitting layer so a high contrast of the organic electroluminescent diode unit is realized by using characteristics of the organic photovoltaic cell unit to absorb light, and meanwhile, the absorbed light is converted into electric energy to realize recycling of light energy, thus beneficial to improving a use time of an external power source (Ai, [0005]).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Iou and Heo discloses the device of claim 1. Iou teaches the first electrode (212, Fig 2), the second electrode (230), and the third electrode (250).
The combination fails to explicitly teach a thickness of the first electrode ranges from 10 to 50 nanometers, a thickness of the second electrode ranges from 100 to 200 nanometers, and a thickness of the third electrode ranges from 50 to 80 nanometers.
However, Ai teaches a thickness of the third electrode ranges from 50 to 80 nanometers (70 nm; thickness of 10-200 nm).
Iou discloses the claimed invention except for a thickness of the first electrode ranges from 10 to 50 nanometers, a thickness of the second electrode ranges from 100 to 200 nanometers. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have electrodes with these thicknesses, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Additionally, Ai teaches a third electrode with thickness between 10-200 nm ([0048]), and while Ai does not explicitly teach the thickness of the first and second electrodes, they are depicted as the same thickness as the third electrode in Fig 1. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have electrodes with thicknesses within the same range, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Furthermore, Iou depicts the thickness of the first electrode 212 to be thinner than the second and third electrodes, which would be similar to the dimension ratios of the three electrodes of claim 6. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have a thinner first electrode, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Therefore, the combination of Iou, Heo, and Ai discloses the limitations of claim 6.
Iou, Heo, and Ai are considered analogous to the claimed invention because all are from the same field of endeavor of semiconductor display devices with integrated photovoltaics. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the device of Iou and Heo with the features of Ai to create a thickness of the first electrode ranges from 10 to 50 nanometers, a thickness of the second electrode ranges from 100 to 200 nanometers, and a thickness of the third electrode ranges from 50 to 80 nanometers so a high contrast of the organic electroluminescent diode unit is realized by using characteristics of the organic photovoltaic cell unit to absorb light, and meanwhile, the absorbed light is converted into electric energy to realize recycling of light energy, thus beneficial to improving a use time of an external power source (Ai, [0005]).
Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iou (US 20060227531 A1), in view of Heo (US 20220261584 A1), and further in view of Pan (US 20180346748 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Iou teaches a method for manufacturing an organic light emitting device (200, Fig 2), comprising following steps:
manufacturing a first electrode (212) on (shown on) an array substrate (210);
manufacturing a light emitting module (220) on (shown on) the first electrode (212) …;
manufacturing a second electrode (230) on (shown on) the light emitting module (220);
manufacturing a photovoltaic module (240) on (shown on) the second electrode (230) …; and
manufacturing a third electrode (250) on (shown on) the photovoltaic module (240) to manufacture the organic light emitting device (200) comprising the photovoltaic module (240);
wherein manufacturing the photovoltaic module (240, Fig 2) on (shown on) the second electrode (230) … comprises:
manufacturing a second electron function layer (242) on (shown on) the second electrode (230) …;
manufacturing a light absorption layer (244; charge generation layer, [0022]; the charges are generated by absorbing light) on (shown on) the second electron function layer (242) …; and
manufacturing a second hole function layer (246) on (shown on) the light absorption layer (244) …;
Iou fails to explicitly teach manufacturing a light emitting module on the first electrode by using an inkjet printing process; manufacturing a photovoltaic module on the second electrode by using the inkjet printing process; wherein the organic light emitting device is an inkjet printing organic light emitting diode: wherein manufacturing the photovoltaic module on the second electrode manufacturing a light emitting module on the first electrode by using the inkjet printing process comprises: manufacturing a second electron function layer on the second electrode by using the inkjet printing process; manufacturing a light absorption layer on the second electron function layer by using the inkjet printing process; and manufacturing a second hole function layer on the light absorption layer by using the inkjet printing process; wherein the light absorption layer comprises a blend of a p-type organic semiconductor and an n-type organic semiconductor, and is configured to generate a photovoltaic effect through interaction of the p-type organic semiconductor and the n- type organic semiconductor.
However, Heo teaches the light absorption layer comprises a blend (light absorbing layer includes p-type and n-type semiconductor, [0024]) of a p-type organic semiconductor (p-type, [0024]) and an n-type organic semiconductor (n-type, [0024]), and
is configured to generate a photovoltaic effect (convert absorbed light into an electrical signal, [0024]) through interaction of the p-type organic semiconductor (p-type) and the n- type organic semiconductor (n-type).
Pan teaches functional layer such as a light emitting layer and a charge transport layer of a light emitting diode can be prepared through inkjet printing (Pan, [0239]).
Iou teaches a base process of manufacturing light emitting layers and charge generation layers of an organic light emitting device which the claimed invention can be seen as an improvement in that integration of OLED devices and photovoltaic cell devices can reduce dependency upon a main power source (Iou, [0005]). Pan teaches a known technique of inkjet printing light emitting and charge generation layers that is comparable to the base process.
Pan’s known technique, as cited above, would have been recognized by one skilled in the art as applicable to the base process of Iou and the results would have been predictable and results in an improved process since ink-jet printing has great advantages and potential due to a low energy consumption, a low water consumption and an environmentally friendly property thereof (Pan, [0003]).
Therefore, the claimed subject matter would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention.
The rationale to support a conclusion that the claim would have been obvious is that a particular known technique was recognized as part of the ordinary capabilities of one skilled in the art. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been capable of applying this known technique to a known device (method, or product) that was ready for improvement and the results would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Iou, Heo, and Pan are considered analogous to the claimed invention because all are from the same field of endeavor of semiconductor display devices with integrated photovoltaics. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the device of Iou with the features of Heo and Pan to create a device manufacturing a light emitting module on the first electrode by using an inkjet printing process; manufacturing a photovoltaic module on the second electrode by using the inkjet printing process; wherein the organic light emitting device is an inkjet printing organic light emitting diode: wherein manufacturing the photovoltaic module on the second electrode manufacturing a light emitting module on the first electrode by using the inkjet printing process comprises: manufacturing a second electron function layer on the second electrode by using the inkjet printing process; manufacturing a light absorption layer on the second electron function layer by using the inkjet printing process; and manufacturing a second hole function layer on the light absorption layer by using the inkjet printing process; wherein the light absorption layer comprises a blend of a p-type organic semiconductor and an n-type organic semiconductor, and is configured to generate a photovoltaic effect through interaction of the p-type organic semiconductor and the n- type organic semiconductor so a high performance sensor may be implemented while improving design and usability (Heo, [0030]) since ink-jet printing has great advantages and potential due to a low energy consumption, a low water consumption and an environmentally friendly property thereof (Pan, [0003]).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Iou, Heo, and Pan discloses the method of claim 7. Pan teaches using the inkjet printing process (inkjet printing, [0239]).
Iou goes on to teach wherein the manufacturing the light emitting module (220, Fig 2) on (shown on) the first electrode (212) by using the inkjet printing process comprises:
manufacturing a first hole function layer (222) on (shown on) the first electrode (212) by using the inkjet printing process;
manufacturing a light emitting layer (224) on (shown on) the first hole function layer (222) by using the inkjet printing process; and
manufacturing a first electron function layer (226) on (shown on) the light emitting layer (224) by using the inkjet printing process.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee (US 20090108757 A1) - PV integrated with OLED stack
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/JEREMY DANIEL WATTS/Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/CHAD M DICKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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