DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This office action is responsive to the amendment received July 1, 2026. Claims 1 and 11 were amended. Claims 8-10 and 12 are canceled claims. Claims 15-20 remain withdrawn as nonelected. Previously, applicant elected species A comprising a Formula 1 compound and a Formula E-1 compound without traverse and species of Formula 1 identified as Ar having formula 2-1 and X1 and X2 as NR3. Now amended claim 1 formulas are considered to comprise the previously described elected species having X1 and X2 as NR3. Claims 1-7, 11, 13, and 14 are currently under consideration.
Previous rejections over claims 8-10 and 12 are withdrawn due to the cancellation of the claims.
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 6 and 7 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.
Claims 6 and 7 each recite limitations for “Ar” group, but there is no “Ar” group in amendment claim 1 upon which the claims depend. Accordingly, the meaning of claims 6 and 7 is not understood and the claims are considered indefinite. Clarification and/or correction are required. Claims 6 and 7 have not been further treated on the merits.
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 1-5, 11, 13, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fleetham et al. (US 2021/0066616 A1).
Fleetham et al. teaches Formula I compounds for an OLED device (see abstract):
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More specifically, the formula I may be according to the following formla (see bottom of page 5, par. 69):
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Y1 and Y2 may be selected as NR (see par. 60) and X3 to X5 (see par. 52) and X9 to X14 may be C (see par. 69). The defined formula meets the requirements of instant Formula 3-1 or 3-2 of claim 1.
Regarding claim 2, compounds of the above formula(s) are used in the emissive region (see abstract and par. 90-93).
Regarding claim 3, the compound may be a dopant of the region (see abstract and par. 90-91).
Regarding claim 4, a device may be formed with layers emitting blue light (see par. 5).
Regarding claim 5, an organic layer may include a delayed fluorescence emitter (see par. 88).
Regarding claim 11, each of RA, RB, and RC in the above formula may be hydrogen (see par. 53).
Regarding claim 13, Y1 and Y2 may be selected as NR (see par. 60).
Regarding claim 14, when Y1 and Y2 are selected as NR with R as aryl phenyl, a compound of the above formula is the same as at least compound #5 of claim 14 (see par. 52, 38):
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With further respect to instant claim 1 and anthracene-based instant formula E-1, Fleetham et al. teaches host material may be an anthracene and phenyl containing compound (see par. 133-135) and also further teaches at least the following specific diphenyl anthracene compound for an ETL (electron-transporting) layer (see par. 144, page 89):
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Additionally note that a specific dinaphthyl-anthracene is taught by Fleetham at the top of page 37, par. 86, and in instant E-1, R39 and R40 may combine to form a ring. Note that instant subscripts p and q of instant formula E-1 may be an integer 0. Accordingly, the recited “at least one selected from R39 and R40 is deuterium” is met by the above discussed compounds as deuterium is not present when instant p and q are zero.
While Fleetham et al. does not appear to exemplify a device where an anthracene compound and a boron compound of the above formula were both selected in an example device embodiment, given the teachings of the reference, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have selected defined materials of the reference as described above wherein the resultant compounds and layered device would also meet the limitations of the instant claims. One would expect to achieve an operational device within the disclosure of Fleetham et al. with a predictable result and a reasonable expectation of success.
Claims 1-5, 11, 13, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fleetham et al. (US 2021/0066616 A1) in view of Joo et al. (US 2020/0172558 A1).
Fleetham et al. teaches Formula I compounds for an OLED device (see abstract):
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More specifically, the formula may be the following (see bottom of page 5, par. 69):
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Y1 and Y2 may be selected as NR (see par. 60) and X3 to X5 (see par. 52) and X9 to X14 may be C (see par. 69). The defined formula meets the requirements of instant Formula 3-1 or 3-2 of claim 1.
Regarding claim 2, compounds of the above formula(s) are used in the emissive region (see abstract and par. 90-93).
Regarding claim 3, the compound may be a dopant of the region (see abstract and par. 90-91).
Regarding claim 4, a device may be formed with layers emitting blue light (see par. 5).
Regarding claim 5, an organic layer may include a delayed fluorescence emitter (see par. 88).
Regarding claim 11, each of RA, RB, and RC in the above formula may be hydrogen (see par. 53).
Regarding claim 13, Y1 and Y2 may be selected as NR (see par. 60).
Regarding claim 14, when Y1 and Y2 are selected as NR with R as aryl phenyl, a compound of the above formula is the same as at least compound #5 of claim 14 (see par. 52, 38):
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With further respect to instant claim 1 and anthracene-based instant formula E-1, Fleetham et al. teaches host material may be an anthracene and phenyl containing compound (see par. 133-134); however, Fleetham et al. is silent with respect to example anthracene derivatives as host including at least one deuterium per instant claim 1 when instant formula E-1 subscripts p or q are 1 to 5. In analogous art, Joo et al. teaches anthracene derivatives as host material according to formula C to use with polycyclic aromatic compounds containing boron and nitrogen as dopant (see Joo par. 45):
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The Ar9 group may be phenylene C-1 where the R31 to R35 include deuterium (see Joo par. 47, 12):
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In Joo et al. Formula C, L13 may be single bond or arylene and Ar10 may be hydrogen, deuterium, or aryl among other groups (see Joo par. 46). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have selected an anthracene host material taught by Joo et al. as described above as anthracene derivative host material for a device according to Fleetham. One would expect the Joo et al. host material to be similarly useful for the function of host material for a light emitting layer in a Fleetham device. One would expect to achieve an operational device having materials within the disclosures of Fleetham et al. and Joo et al. with a predictable result and a reasonable expectation of success.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 1, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues the claims were amended to recite polycyclic formulas 3-1 or 3-2, but the office notes these specific formulas were previously rejected with respect to now canceled dependent claim 10 and the present claim amendment is not considered to overcome the prior obviousness rejections. The office maintains Fleetman teaches rings that correspond to instant formulas 3-1 and 3-2, because each X9 to X14 may be selected as carbon in the below par. 69 formula:
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This specific compound formula corresponds to groups present in polycyclic instant formulas 3-1 and 3-2. While par. 70 may teach additional ring groups outside the recited structure of instant claim 1, this does not negate the fact that structures corresponding to instant 3-1 or 3-2 are included and that par. 69 teaches the above core structure. The rejection does not rely merely rely upon Fleetham general formula 1, but further points to the specific compound formula found in par. 69 having specific groups corresponding Fleetham formula 1 “A” and “B” rings:
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Specific ring groups shown in this par. 69 formula meeting the requirements in instant formulas 3-1 and 3-2 core structure. Applicant’s arguments regarding A and B rings of Fleetham formula 1 are not found persuasive. Fleetham is considered to teach all required elements.
Applicant mentions “superior device characteristics”, but does not provide a further analysis of specific comparative data commensurate with the claimed compounds and closest prior art. Accordingly, the office submits a showing of superior, unexpected results over the claimed subject matter has not been established.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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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